Actions Speak Louder Than Words
by sunset9061
Summary: Mori takes his chance, but what will the other hosts think? Haruhix?
1. PostHosting

**Haven't written in a while, thought I might try something fresh. Hope you enjoy it! :)  
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As Haruhi stacked the serving cart with todays used teacups she couldn't help notice Mori's gaze aimed straight at her. She merely assumed she just happened to be in his eye line while he was lost in thought, but as always, she was wrong.  
Mori was on one of his regular visits, as his campus was only an hour's drive from Ouran, and he was done with lectures for the day. These visits always delighted Kyouya, as customers were always eager to spend their time (and money) on him, now he was a University student. Hani visited much less often, as his campus was further away, and his schedule much busier. Though Mori seemed less approachable without his loli-shota companion, he had found a new appeal for the customers, "The Melancholy type", at first this was just a side effect of missing his friend, but as Renge had explained, the new popularity of classic French cinema had given the girls a liking for moody boys. So Mori would pour coffee, stare out the window and recite a few phrases Renge had given him to appear "deep". Mori went along with it, he missed hosting when he was away.  
The time apart from Hani had given Mori a chance to work on his own aspirations, since the smaller host no longer needed his care. But it was the visits to the host club, sans Hani, that had given him much to think about.

Despite it only being three months into the first semester, Tamaki's "Daddy" routine had shot far out of control.  
"Haaaaaruhi!" cried the blond king  
"Why are you cleaning? We only have a short time left until Daddy has to go to college and then I'll only see you on weekends!" He then wrapped her in one of his cobra-tight embraces and yapped on about how much he would miss her.  
"Senpai!" she pried herself from his grip  
"For the last time you are NOT staying with me every weekend next year. You won't be staying in my house EVER!"  
Tamaki began to cry as he moaned to Kyouya about "ungrateful daughters" Kyouya merely continued writing in his black book.  
"Don't worry, Tono" an arm snaked its way around Haruhi's small waist.  
"We'll take _good _care of our little Toy" and another.  
The twins began rubbing their faces against Haruhi making Tamaki's blood boil. Haruhi, of course, was unfazed by their antics and began planning tonight's meal.  
_Do we still have eggs? I think I used them all this morning. I'd better visit the market, better safe than sorry…_

Mori observed, as Haruhi stood stoically while Tamaki shouted about "unscrupulous twins" and said twins continued to "play" with her. All his life, Mori had only focused on pleasing one person, but now he had grown apart from Hani, he had begun to focus on Haruhi Fujioka. Ever since that day he rescued her from Tamaki and looked into her large chocolate brown eyes, she became a regular thought that crossed his mind. However Mori found it hard to convey his feelings to her, all he could muster was giving her all the strawberries on his cake.

Finally the trio became so distracted with their fight over Haruhi that the cross-dresser could slip out from under them and continue clearing up. As she pushed the full trolley into the kitchen, Mori go up from the windowsill and followed her in.  
"Ah Mori-Senpai, you don't have to help, it's my turn to clean up today"  
"It's okay" Mori said, avoiding eye contact and picking up the drying towel. (of course the host club owned a dishwasher until Renge removed it, claiming customers would enjoy drinking out of the teacups more if the boys had hand washed them. Kyouya had agreed.)  
"Thanks" The girl smiled sweetly at him, causing Mori to turn beet-red and crack a rather rare smile of his own.

As Mori dried dishes he wondered what he could say to get this girl to understand his feelings. Though she seemed to be rather sympathetic at times, he knew she didn't usually respond well to advances, even if they were obvious ones (see Kasanoda, and Arai). Mori was never a man of many words, and he felt his stoic, yet rather harsh tone would not bode well for him when asking her out.  
Haruhi continued to scrub teacups, unaware that her "dryer" was now preoccupied with staring at her, again. Mori noticed how her figure had developed over time. No longer the shapeless, short and androgynistic girl she once was. Haruhi had developed a slight curvaceousness, even when layered in the male uniform, the hint of femininity was still there. Her bangs framed her petite face, thick lashes surrounded her huge, mesmerising brown eyes, her lips formed a small heart shape as she scrubbed furiously at a tea stain on a saucer.  
She was beautiful, alright. But then again, so were most of the girls at Ouran, and at his University. It was her mind that had him spellbound. She never failed to surprise him with her actions, and the way she dealt with all this chaos and still managed to maintain her focus on her studies. What got Mori most about this unique girl, was her ability to understand his relationship with Hani. How she came with him into the virtual jungle to help Mori find his friend, and how she sympathised with him after she had worked out the reason he had rejected a girl in front of her.  
After going through all these reasons in his head, Mori realised what he must do. If he was ever going to get a chance with this girl, it would have to be soon. It won't be long until the other hosts decide to act upon their own feelings, so it was now or never.

In one movement, Mori dropped the towel, turned to Haruhi and pulled her towards him, lifting her off the ground. She dropped the saucer she was cleaning, which proceeded to smash on the floor. This did not phase Mori. The kiss was furiously passionate, yet still tender. Her lips were as soft as he had expected, and she tasted of the mandatory mints Renge had distributed ("No girl likes Coffee breath!") Mori could not comprehend how long he was kissing her for, but he knew he did not want to stop. Regardless, common sense got the better of him, he briefly held her tighter and then pulled away, and placed her back on the floor. Expecting to gage some kind of reaction from the girl, he was surprised when the first words he heard were Tamaki's...

"WHAAAAAA-?" the host club king was white, as were the twins. Even Kyouya had a funny twitch in his eye.  
The boys were gathered at the doorway, summoned by the sound of the smashing plate.  
Mori began rubbing the back of his neck in shame. Haruhi simply stood there slightly perplexed.  
"Um, thanks Mori" she simply said, planted a kiss on the boy's cheek and promptly left the room, assuming some host drama was about to occur. She wanted no part in it, and she needed to get to the market before closing.

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**Okay, so I know it was short and rushed. If you think I could add to it, say in reviews ^^  
Thanks for reading :D xx  
**


	2. Haruhi Snaps

**Back with another (short) chapter :) I felt I really couldn't leave it at that, enjoy!  
**

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Haruhi walked to the third music room as she did every day after class. She was trying to recall if Tamaki had any theme planned for today, but she had left so hastily the afternoon before that she forgot to ask. The twins hadn't said much all day, despite Haruhi's best efforts to begin a conversation (she liked the quiet at first, but after a while it began to creep her out). However she did catch them staring at her occasionally. Haruhi was usually spot on when analysing the twin's latest antics, but this time she was completely perplexed.  
Upon entering the Host Club headquarters, Haruhi was immediately pounced upon by a delighted Renge.  
"MOE, MOE! Oh Haruhi-Kun! That kiss you shared with Mori-Kun was so… MOE!" she broke into tears of joy and did that odd swaying that Tamaki always did when excited.  
"Um Renge, how did you see that?" _She can't have cameras around here can she? _ _This is a music room…  
_"Cameras of course!" Renge grinned, took the cross-dresser by the hand and proceeded to drag her around the room, pointing out many hidden camera's to Haruhi's dismay. "Kyouya refused to let me put one in the dressing room though" The girl pouted.  
"Ah I see" Haruhi felt a little relieved, but still annoyed that the Shadow King had kept this from her.  
Renge ran over to a table, picking up a disc.  
"And this is the footage of the beautiful kiss that the customers would be dying to see!"  
Haruhi sighed, could this host club possibly violate her privacy anymore?  
But then she heard a dull crack and saw said footage on the floor underneath the heel of Kyouya's very expensive Italian shoes.  
"I'm afraid, Renge, that we cannot allow you to share this footage or speak of this incident to anyone."  
Renge was about to furiously object until Kyouya flashed her one of his famous death glares, and so her eyes saddened as she made herself a hamster home.  
Haruhi tore her eyes away from the girl who was (to Haruhi) terribly sad for such a meagre reason, and saw the host club boys gathered in a circle, minus Kyouya who was collecting shards of disc off the floor.  
"What's up?" Haruhi finally asked, not in the mood for all this drama.  
"Renge, could you give us some time to ourselves?" Kyouya asked politley, (not that the girl had a choice), and proceeded to flick the switch that turned the camera's off. Renge sulked over to her revolving platform and returned to her layer.  
"Haruhi, take a seat." The shadow king indicated to the table the hosts used to discuss themes and budgets and other things Haruhi didn't care about unless they involved her debt.

The group sat around the table, Tamaki and the twins furiously whispering to each other. All Haruhi could catch of it was the phrase "acting like it was nothing!" from what sounded like Kaoru.  
"Haruhi" Kyouya began "To maintain working as a host, you must keep your gender a secret, otherwise you will again be demoted to the position of dog, and neither of us wants that do we?" Haruhi shook her head, she made far much more as a host, and the sooner her debt was paid, the better.  
"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page. Now as you saw just now, the incident that happened yesterday caused quite a stir in Renge, and would do so to the majority of the female student body. However, not every fan girl is as simple as that, and an event like this would raise questions. There are probably many students who have sussed the truth, but are afraid to announce it without proof, which is not something we would like to give them."  
"But why are you lecturing me, Senpai? It was Mori who kissed me." Kyouya twitched, but his tone remained calm.  
"You did not stop him." The boy replied.  
"Yeah, why is that?" Hikaru clenched his fist, Kaoru placed a gentle hand on his brothers arm.  
The girl was so confused, all this over a kiss? Was her secret really in that much danger?  
"Um, I guess he wasn't doing any harm." She mumbled, not wanting to upset her fellow hosts any more.  
"Harm?" The blond host got up from his seat and stared at the girl. "He was harming my poor, sweet daughter's innocence!" Tamaki proceeded to lock Haruhi in another uncomfortably tight hug. "Fathers must protect their daughter's sweet innocent lips! It is unacceptable for an unmarried girl to going round kissing boys without her father's approval."  
At this point Haruhi was really fucking fed up. This host club has wormed its way into her life, though seemingly harmless it now had much more control over her time than she had ever desired. All she wanted to do was study, to become a lawyer like her mother. Fair enough she had a debt to settle, and she didn't like to admit it too often but the hosts were her friends, and she cared for them a great deal. This was just a bit too much for the girl today.  
"Tamaki-Senpai for the last time you are NOT my father!" she yelled, causing the king to turn pale and release her. "I have had enough with your 'fatherly' demands. I can kiss as many boys as I goddamn like, or none at all if that is my choosing!" She turned to Kyouya "I understand that in future I should be more careful with incidents that may reveal my gender, and I apologise. But right now I am heading home to study, I am taking the day off. Add as much as you like to my debt, it seems to be ever growing anyway, so I might as well have fun with it. Good Day."  
Haruhi promptly left the third music room, feeling a little embarrassed by her outburst, yet hopeful that the hosts may give her a little more space in future.

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**More to come! Though I may entertain other pairings... Reviews motivate me :D Thanks for reading xx**


	3. The Shadow King's Apology?

**Another (very) short one. It's all unfolding.. Enjoy!  
**

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Haruhi collapsed onto her bed feeling incredibly confident about tomorrows biology quiz. She didn't really need the extra study time, she knew the syllabus backwards, but studying always made her feel better.  
She did feel guilty about bailing on host club though, especially all her designators that Kyouya would have to apologise to. How much would that cost her?  
_bzzzz bzzzz…. bzzzz bzzzz_

Kyouya's picture flashed up on Haruhi's twin-issued cell phone.  
_Speak of the devil….  
_"Kyouya-senpai?" she sat up as she answered, leaning against her headboard.  
"Ah Haruhi, uh… how are you?" the boys voice had a nervous edge to it. _Strange… _she thought  
"Um, fine, Senpai, and you?"  
"I'm good thanks... Look Haruhi, I would like to apologise on behalf of the club for how you were treated earlier. We have no business in who you tie yourself to romantically, that is your decision. Also I do hope you will re-join club activities tomorrow."  
This was very out of the blue for Haruhi,  
_The Shadow King… apologising?_ _Had Kyouya lost his mind?  
_"Thanks… Kyouya. Of course I'll be at Host Club tomorrow. Though I must make it clear I am not 'tying myself' to anyone."  
"…You're not?"  
"No, Mori-Senpai is just my friend."  
"Right, okay. Thank you, Haruhi. See you tomorrow." Kyouya hung up the phone, he could not believe it. Yet again this girl had surprised him.

When he had walked in on the kiss that afternoon he felt angry, but could not understand why. At first he assumed it was to do with the expensive, smashed saucer on the floor. It wasn't until that afternoon, when she had been so blasé about the kiss, that he realised he was mad at her, and Mori.

_Out of all the boys in this club she kisses the one who can barely say 3 words? _He thought as he sorted Haruhi's designators, offering them another host or a red rose that Haruhi had "personally picked" for them. Of course the girls fell for Kyouya's little white lie, and went home happy with their rose.  
That afternoon's hosting seemed to be the slowest Kyouya had ever endured. His mind was twisting over this irrational anger. It was only when he was drying the days cups that he realised he was jealous.  
_Jealousy! And over a commoner. Get it together Kyouya. This is beneath you. _Thought the Shadow King as he rode home in his town car.  
He got to his room and collapsed onto his bed. Romance had been a tactic. Whether it be in the Host club or the daughter of his father's new business associate. He never thought he'd fall victim to it.

Kyouya had been engaged 7 times in the past 2 years. Airhead heiresses who liked his lean, yet muscular physique, his (meaningless) sweet talk, and the way he checked all three of the tall, dark and handsome boxes. They were all dull as bricks, spoiled, and fickle. Each one had failed due to the latter.  
Some dumped him because he refused to show any physical affection further than holding hands (a rule of his fathers, after marriage was the only time for that). Others because they simply found his business motives boring, and the rest were scared off when Kyouya had become so fed up he let his real personality show. His father did not care, as long as the business deal had gone through, which it usually had. Ootori was a very prestigious corporation; it didn't require attractive teenage boys to do business.

After his last failed engagement three weeks ago, Kyouya's father called him in. Far from the scolding Kyouya was expecting, Yoshio told his son that he, unlike his siblings, would not be subject to an arranged marriage.  
"Kyouya, the Ootori family is prided on its blue blood status. However, as these past two years have shown, high status does not guarantee a high mind. These girls I have set you up with may come from good backgrounds, but after much consideration, none of them would be a derisible asset to the Ootori line. If you can find a suitable bride, one that would do well in our family and provide me with intelligent grandchildren, you have my blessing. You may now go."  
"Yes father." The boy replied, trying to hide his confusion, and horror. He had no idea how to attract a girl who was not shallow or simple.

After that evening, Kyouya began spending time searching for a suitable bride to no avail. It was only now, after a phone call with a specific young cross-dresser, that the boy considered his future bride could have been right under his nose.

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**"I thought this was a Mori fic?" yeah me too, but I dont know what kind it is now.  
It might still go that way. Idk. I'll let the story decide.  
Thanks for reading :D reviews are always lovely! xx**


	4. The LoliShota Visits

**Another instalment, I'm on a roll! Enjoy :)  
**

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Mori sat on his bed after Tuesday's Kendo practice. He couldn't get the day before out of his mind. He still could not understand why she just left, without a single reaction. Of course he was left to deal with the hosts. Tamaki went into his Daddy routine, scolding Mori for taking his "daughter's" innocence. Kyouya simply looked puzzled, and Kaoru quietly sat on a worktop looking at his shoes. Surprisingly Hikaru had joined in with Tamaki, first shouting at him, then stifling an obvious urge to hit something, until finally he asked if it was their first kiss. At this all four boys looked to Mori for an answer. He simply nodded and then walked out. Nobody stopped him.  
That Monday night he called Hani, and briefly explained the situation.  
"Aw, poor Takashi, you know Haru-chan has more difficulty sorting out her feelings than anyone at the club. You cannot expect her to fall in love with you after one kiss."  
"True, Mitskuni" despite his monotonous voice Hani could hear the sadness in it.  
"I can come down the day after tomorrow if you like? We can eat cake and visit the Host Club!"  
"Um, maybe."  
"And I can also help you out with Haru-Chan!"  
"I don't know…"  
"Taka-Chan, I have known you my whole life (that's a long time!). I am sure Haru-Chan would love to be with you! You just have to give it more effort!"  
Mori knew his friend was right, Hani was always good with telling emotions.  
"Okay" he finally replied.  
"Yaay! I'll pack right away! See you soon Taka-Chan!" Mori could almost hear the boy bouncing with excitement.

Wednesday came and Mori skipped his lectures to spend time with his loli-shota friend, he was already ahead of the class. They hung out at the Dojo, ate cake and finally headed to Ouran Academy.  
They were early, so they decided to head to the library. There they found Haruhi, to no one's surprise, with her head stuck in a book.  
"Haaru-Chan!" Hani said in his sing-song way as he ran up to her.  
"Hani-Senpai? You have to be quiet in here" she whispered, unable to hide her joy at seeing the cute blond ex-host once again. "C'mon let's go" she picked up her books, and smiled at Mori as she guided the two ex-students out of the library.  
"So how's University?" they sat on a bench in the school's quad.  
"It's excellent! Usa-Chan loves it!" Hani held up his stuffed bunny "And I'm head of Karate already, I even beat the head of department" the boy beamed.  
_How can such a sweet boy have the capability to be so violent… _she thought as Hani proceeded to play with his rabbit.  
"Has Mori told you he might be sitting the bar exam a year early?" Hani beamed, to Mori's discomfort. He didn't like attention, Hani was usually there to take it away from him, but he knew he was only trying to help.  
"No way! Mori you must be delighted. I love hearing about law school. Have you had any apprenticeships yet?" she smiled that sweet smile she always did, and Mori's face began to flush, but before he could reply Hani cut in.  
"Haru-Chan, maybe you and Mori should go for coffee and have a long chat about it! Because right now, we have to head to the Host Club" Haruhi looked at her watch and stood up.  
"You're right. But Mori if you're free this weekend I would love to hear more about your studies" Mori's face was blank. Okay so it wasn't a date but it was something right? He got up from the bench and finally said "Saturday at 3?"  
"That'd be fine" she beamed.

Tamaki, Kyouya and the twins all stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. They all felt a bit strange about seeing the girl again after yesterday's discussion. They weren't sure if she was still mad, or if she'd even turn up. However they were very surprised when she entered with Hani, and of all people Mori. They walked in happily chatting, not noticing the tension between the boys. It was Mori who caught Hikaru's eye and then stopped smiling.  
Hani then proceeded to greet the other hosts with his usual cheery disposition, causing everyone to return to normal. Well apart from Hikaru, who remained to sulk, but refused to get angry. He knew letting himself get verbally jealous around Haruhi would not do him any favours.  
The hosts had a catch up and then proceeded to set up as normal. Kyouya offered the graduates some spare Ouran uniforms which they willingly accepted. Hani and Mori always felt strange hosting in jeans.

As Haruhi poured coffee and pretended to listen to an unbearable story about choosing the right brand of swimwear (_it's just going to get wet anyway_), she noticed how much she had missed having the club all together. Mori seemed to bring a form of sanity to the club, and Hani brought positivity. And it was always a delight to see Hani consume a dangerous amount of cake and still want more.  
It was strange how only now they were both here, that Haruhi realised how much she'd missed the two boys. She then decided she would try to make a bit more effort with them, before they started visiting much less often and then finally not at all.

After the hosts had cleaned up for the day Tamaki suggested they all go to dinner. Before Haruhi could object, Tamaki assured her that they would go to "a commoner eatery", not that any of the hosts ever let the girl pay for anything, despite her refusal to become their charity case. Rich bastards.

"No need" Kyouya interrupted. "We have quite a bit of profit. From all the extra money generated from Mori and Hani, plus the money made on Haruhi's 'own grown' roses" Haruhi looked puzzled "we all deserve a nice night out. Plus dinner is a wonderful photo opportunity for this year's photo book annual…"  
_This boy can turn anything into a business venture… _The girl thought. Though she did like the idea of an expensive meal for free…  
"Great! Let's all head home and change. We'll meet at the Hitachiin mansion" said the blond host.  
"Why, Tama-Chan?" Hani asked.  
The twins slinked either side of Haruhi. "Because we need to dress up our toy!" they smirked in sync.  
Haruhi was about to object when Tamaki piped up "Hey! You will provide her with a dress and then you will wait outside with the rest of us! My da- I mean, Haruhi, can dress herself!"

Haruhi was annoyed that these boys assumed she did not have anything suitable to wear to dinner (she didn't, the only non-casual clothing she possessed was an ill-fitting dress her father bought her years ago, and the dresses that the twins were always sending her, and the majority of them Haruhi would not feel comfortable wearing alone, never mind in public). However she was pleasantly surprised Tamaki had stopped himself from calling her his daughter. She hoped it would stick.

"Haruhi, would you like a lift home?" Mori startled the girl, who'd been lost in thought.  
"Um, are you sure? I wouldn't want to be any trouble?"  
"WHAAT?"  
"Haruhi you NEVER let us give you lifts!"  
"That's because you two are perverted twins! I should be taking her home, I am the king!"  
Tamaki and the twins continued to argue over who deserved to take the girl home, and so Haruhi decided that, again, she would avoid the drama and walk home.

"A town car will pick you up from your apartment in an hour" Kyouya told her. There was no use in trying to take her home himself, she had obviously made up her mind. Mori continued to watch the fight that yet again he had caused. In future he should be more secretive with his actions. Haruhi would not want to be with him if there was too much drama involved.

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**I know they're short and concise but I'm not one for very detailed fics, I prefer being able to use my imagination when reading, don't know about you guys aha.  
Oh and the whole mori-doing-law thing, I was doing research and it said he wanted to become a lawyer! so that's canon people! (depending on how reliable wikiouran is, i dont recall that in the manga).  
Again thanks for reading :) reviews are lovely! do lots! xx  
**


	5. Dinner

**Another chapter!  
In case you haven't already guessed I don't own OHSHC or its characters. If I did, I'd be in Hawaii with Kaoru (also maybe Kyouya), and not writing fanfics...**

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Hikaru lay on his brother's bed waiting for him to come out of the shower. He was still thinking about why Haruhi would accept a lift off Mori, but never them. He no longer fretted about the kiss. Any of them could kiss her anytime they wanted. For a heroine she was very passive. Hikaru had replayed the kiss in his mind so many times, looking for some kind of positive response in her, but he couldn't see any. Kaoru had agreed, but then he added that there was no negative response either. Whatever Mori had tried to stir in the girl had failed, but he had not given up. Hikaru thought this was unfair. Surely it was someone else's turn now.  
Hikaru had only discovered his feelings towards the end of the summer, on their way home from another hosting weekend at the beach (Renge had made them a regular summer event). She had fallen asleep on him in the car. Hikaru felt this strong awareness of her, and wanted to pull her in closer, stroke her hair and keep her for himself. But then he realised he was in a car full of hosts, who would probably also like to keep Haruhi for themselves. His brother included. That night after much discussion the twins decided they would let the girl choose between them. Because regardless of which brother she chose (if one at all), Haruhi would still become a permanent part in both their lives.

Haruhi tried to yank down the hem of her dress as far as it could go when she looked in the mirror. Despite it only ending a couple of inches above her knee she felt the dress was too short and impractical. The twins had put her in a simple black dress and strappy kitten heels (as she refused to wear anything higher). After their best efforts to work with her short thick hair they gave up and placed her in one of the model wigs. It was brown, with a full fringe and flowed down to her elbows. She liked the outfit, it was simple yet elegant. However she was very annoyed that the twins had disposed of the clothes she'd worn over. Sure they were from the thrift store, and a little plain, but they were comfortable.  
"Ne, Haruhi. We cannot allow you to go out in public like that anymore" Hikaru told her as she inquired about the location of her khaki cut-offs and plain white t-shirt.  
"Yeah, we'd be bad friends if we did that." Kaoru said as he admired the girl in more feminine clothing.  
"I'm sure good friends don't trash their friend's clothes." she muttered as she fiddled with the wig.  
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go downstairs before Tono thinks we've violated you or something…" Kaoru sighed. At this Haruhi chuckled, and headed downstairs to the other hosts. The twins shared a confused look. She never responded to that kind of talk before, apart from the occasional eye-roll or sigh.  
"How odd." Kaoru observed under his breath.  
"Hm." His brother agreed.

Things had been going very well for Haruhi as of late. Not only was she top of the class but she was ahead, asking for extra work and already practising for exams. Every day she could feel herself getting one step closer to becoming a lawyer. Maybe Mori could even give her a few tip offs about law school, if there was any books she could read or cases to research. She had much more free time than she'd ever had before, which was new to her. If this was a year ago, Haruhi would be annoyed she was missing study-time for a dinner with the rich bastards that had already taken up so much of her time, but now, she was rather excited.  
And speaking of "rich bastards" she now truly felt a part of their group. Though she obviously lived a very different lifestyle than them, she found a different kind of connection to them all.  
She could sympathise with Kyouya when he would drive Tamaki nuts with studying, she herself knew what it was like to constantly be under pressure to maintain the top grade. She also saw him for more than the villainous shadow king. He was the youngest son of a powerful man. So he can't be blamed if his ambition had made him calculating and cold.  
Mori shared her lawyer dream, and her dislike for club drama, she also understood his relationship with Hani.  
Tamaki was so similar to Ranka that the girl couldn't help but like him. Hani's positive attitude could get her through the most lagging club events.  
As for the twins, Haruhi was the only one to have ever distinguished between them, and she felt a strange attraction towards them. Not because of their looks, but because they presented her with an exclusive key to their world. Though her common sense told her this would be an unhealthy move, she occasionally found herself entertaining the idea of joining them, merely out of curiosity.

As Haruhi had expected, dinner took place in a ridiculously lavish restaurant, in which one meal could pay for almost her entire weekly shop. Over dinner the hosts discussed numerous topics, only few of which Haruhi could sit through without repeatedly thinking "rich bastards" in her mind. During dessert Tamaki began raving about plans for a group holiday in the Winter, though his plans were far from realistic. He'd read somewhere about an army crossing the alps on elephants and this had somehow evolved into an Indian themed ski holiday. Haruhi and Kyouya rolled their eyes at each other while the twins encouraged the blond host to make his plans even more extravagant. Hani was too focused on his cake to join in and Mori simply sat silently, occasionally glancing at Haruhi.  
Throughout the evening, Haruhi couldn't help but notice the many evil looks she was receiving from the female diners surrounding them. It was only when two incredibly made-up girls came over from another table that she understood why she appeared to be the most hated girl in the room.  
"Hi, I'm Yuni, and this is my friend Sana, we were wondering if you _boys"_ she glanced purposefully at Haruhi "would like some female company. We're going for drinks later if you'd like to join us…" she indicated to a table of giggling girls. Haruhi couldn't help but notice her suggestive tone and was rather offended that she did not count as "female company".  
"No, thank you." Kyouya replied dismissively. "And if you were observant you would see that we already have some very beautiful female company" he looked at Haruhi "and I'm sure her presence alone could surpass that of you and your friends combined."  
Yuni was obviously not accustomed to being rejected, she paused to see if the boy was serious about choosing this one plain girl over 7 scantily dressed, slightly tipsy girls, and then promptly walked back to her table, Sana tottering behind her.  
"Ugh, total bitch." Hikaru muttered.  
"Keba too" Kaoru sniggered.  
"Are you okay Haruhi?" Mori asked.  
"Yeah" she smiled and turned to the shadow king "Thanks, Kyouya."  
"Being a gentleman is expected of an Ootori, but you're very welcome." He said matter-of-factly.  
"It must be weird for you guys, getting approached by girls all the time." Haruhi mused.  
"Ah, Haruhi, it is a small price to pay for our tragic good looks!" Tamaki replied, placing his hand against his forehead.  
"Tragic is the right word for you…" Hikaru scoffed, causing his brother to burst into laughter.  
"Mock all you want, I am still the host club king!" Tamaki retorted.

After dinner the hosts all shared one of Kyouya's cars (mainly to avoid arguments of who would take Haruhi home). By the time they reached the Suoh Mansion, only Kyouya, Tamaki and Haruhi remained.  
"Tamaki, go home." Kyouya told the blond for the fifth time as he hovered in the car doorway.  
"But really I should see she gets home safely…"  
"That is why I am here."  
"But what if somethi-" Tamaki was cut off as the Shadow King pushed him through the door and slammed it shut.  
"Drive." He ordered into a microphone.

After 5 minutes Kyouya finally broke the silence.  
"Did you enjoy dinner?" he asked.  
"Very much, thank you." She smiled.  
"I am terribly sorry about the rude girl, the diners at that establishment are usually more sophisticated, but you do occasionally get the spoiled rich girls."  
"The girls at Ouran seem to be much kinder" she observed.  
"That is because they think you are a boy. I'm sure if your secret got out you would see them for the self-centred, airheads they are." This threw the girl off.  
"You don't talk very highly of those that share your status."  
"I'm afraid it is rare to find rich girls with any substance to their character. They have nothing to work for; their male relatives are usually the heirs to their family business, and the majority end up marrying wealth. Few girls want to work to deserve the family business, not when they're given the opportunity to live comfortably without effort. I am glad I no longer have to marry one."  
"I thought your father was going to arrange your marriage?"  
The car pulled up outside Haruhi's apartment before he could answer. Kyouya got out and opened the door for Haruhi, and proceeded to walk her to her door.  
"On the contrary Haruhi, my father has now given me the opportunity to choose my own bride. So I am currently on the search." He paused, contemplating something. "Subsequently, I hope you don't mind me stealing a kiss."  
In a business-like fashion, Kyouya placed his hand under her chin, tilting it upward. He leaned in, the kiss was hard, yet tender, and was over rather promptly. He waited for some kind of reaction to no avail, and finally said "I would appreciate if you take the time to think that over, Haruhi." His hand still lingered under her chin, his eyes looking straight into hers. "I'll see you tomorrow at club. Good night." He smiled in a way that Haruhi could only describe as smug, and then walked down to his car, leaving Haruhi utterly confused.

* * *

**Okay guys, I'm taking your reviews into account, but I do enjoy exploring other pairings as you can see.  
How's it going? Reviews are golden!  
****I haven't been on here in a while, so sorry it's not as clearly structured as the usual content.  
Thanks for reading :) xx  
**


	6. Spas and Storms

**Hello again! Back with a reasonably long chapter :)  
Enjoy!  
(In the UK we have a week off in the middle of the semester called "half term" I'm not sure if that's a general thing, or just here)**

* * *

Haruhi sat sandwiched in between the two devilish red-heads she was usually rather fond of, however this morning she was not pleased to be spending time with them.  
She thought back to two days ago, clearing up after the last hosting session before the school ended for half term. As she left the kitchen she was bombarded by the twins.

"Haruhi!" they chimed in sync "How many bathing suits would you like us to bring for you?"  
"Huh? What for?"  
"The Host Club retreat of course!" Hikaru ruffled her hair patronisingly.  
"I'm not going to the beach. It's winter. Plus I have schoolwork."  
"Ne, Haruhi, we're not going to the beach." Kaoru said shaking his head.  
"We're going to the Hitachiin Spa Resort!" Hikaru grinned.  
"_You _may be, but _I'm _not." She sighed as she scooted passed them to retrieve her bag.

"On the contrary, Haruhi, this is a mandatory hosting event. We'll call it _Team building._"  
_Gahh, Kyouya always sounds so smug. I wonder how he can possibly make merit off of this… _she thought to herself.  
"Like I said, I have schoolwork" she lied.  
"Haruhi, I am Kyouya Ootori. You could not lie to me in a million years. You are top of your class and ahead of your year group. You can come on this trip."  
"What if I refuse?" she retorted.  
"See where it gets you."  
She remembered her plans with Mori the next day.  
"When will we leave? I have plans this weekend."  
"Monday" Kyouya snapped his book shut and looked up at her from under his glasses. "You have plans?"  
"I haven't planned anything!" Tamaki was genuinely confused.  
"No, but I'm meeting with Mori-senpai."  
"Why?" Hikaru failed to hide the accusation in his voice.  
"We're going to discuss law school over Coffee… Is there an issue?" again they were prying into her private life.  
"Nope, no issue!" Kaoru laughed nervously, covering his brother's mouth with his hand. "We'll call you tomorrow evening with the details Haruhi!" he grinned.  
"Why? You'll just kidnap me on Monday and anything I pack you never let me use…" she muttered to no one in particular.

* * *

Saturday morning Haruhi had a very rare lie in. She figured the hosts would not let her sleep in on the trip and all day Sunday she would have to prepare the house so Ranka could survive on his own. Buying ready-meals, washing his clothes, cleaning up around the house etc.  
She met Mori outside the Coffee house, wearing a dark red day dress, a thick winter sweater, thick black tights and pumps.  
She wanted to wear jeans and a coat but Ranka guilt tripped her into seeing things his 's only condition was warmth.  
Mori was also in a similar winter sweater, but on top of his head was a pair of bunny ear-muffs Hani had insisted on him wearing for "good luck".  
Haruhi couldn't help but notice that the boy looked rather cute.  
They talked for 3 hours (yes, talked. Mori can maintain a conversation occasionally…), about law school, about host club, about Hani. Till finally, Mori came out with it.  
"Haruhi, we kissed." He simply stated after a pause where the girl was sipping her 7th cup of tea.  
"We did." She replied, unaware of where this was going. This threw him off.  
"Um. So, would you like to start dating?" he stared at her teacup.  
Haruhi thought about it. She had the time, Mori was interesting to be around (she was always fascinated when he said more than three words), he shared her dream. She then thought about her mother, how Kotoko was never afraid to try new things. Look up risky loopholes for helping her clients faster, always willing to try Ranka's cooking, and how on her rare days off, she would take young Haruhi around the market, treating it like an adventure.  
"Yes, I think that would be fine" she smiled.  
Mori blushed in response. Maybe Hani's ear-muffs were lucky after all…

Haruhi got in and ran herself a bath. After agreeing to date him, Mori had not said much (for Mori). He simply held her hand on the way back to her apartment, walked her to her door, and kissed her on the forehead. Haruhi blushed a little, smiled, and went inside. She'd invited him in but he had declined. He had an apprenticeship starting that week and he needed to do some research.

Just before she was about to step into the hot water, her cell phone rang. Hastily putting on her robe she dashed to her bedroom and answered.  
"Haaruhi!" the twins sang down the phone.  
"Can this wait? I'm about to get in the bath."  
"We could join you?" Kaoru suggested.  
"No thanks" she said dryly. "What do you want?"  
"Just seeing how our toy is doing!" Kaoru said innocently  
"And how it went with Mori…" Hikaru added  
"Goodbye Kaoru, goodbye Hikaru. I'm hanging up now."  
_I can't have any privacy…  
_

* * *

__As the car took the hosts to the Hitachiin spring resort, Haruhi thought about Mori.  
_Would Senpai mind that I'm here with the hosts? Sure, they're just my friends, but this is an odd situation. I only didn't mention it because he was so excited about the apprenticeship… Oh I'm probably being paranoid._

The spa appeared desserted, until the twins explained that the only staff currently there were cleaners, and they only came in in the mornings. There was a fully stocked kitchen, a rec room, and of course a separate bedroom for each host.  
There were spa therapists on call if required, but the teens were mainly there for use of the pools. There were three different bathing areas. The first was Jungle, a rainforest inspired room with a waterfall, fake grass, tropical flowers, and a fish tank. This was the only underground room, and it was the largest of them all. The second was Jacuzzi, a room filled with hot tubs with varying functions, some relaxed your muscles, others worked them, and they were filled with scented oils. The last room was a simple pool with lanes, for exercise or racing, it also had a few slides as requested by the twins.  
Haruhi's favourite room was the Jungle room, though it was artificial, it felt much more real that the Ootori resort, and it reminded her of the "Wild type" that she was getting close to.  
After a full day of aquatic fun at the racing pool, Haruhi prepared dinner for the hosts, as she refused to let Kaoru bother a chef at such a late hour. Once they ate, they all retired to their rooms, tired out after a long day.

The next evening at dinner, Kyouya mentioned the upcoming storm that night. Before Haruhi could worry, Kaoru told her that her room had been especially sound-proofed for such an occasion, and there were blackout curtains on her window, so she would not even notice the weather. The girl thanked the twins for such a thoughtful gesture and decided to head to bed early, hoping she could simply sleep through it.

Haruhi looked at the bedside clock.  
_3am? 3am! _She thought _Why can't I sleep?  
_She had been awake all night, even though she couldn't hear or see the storm, she still felt she could sense it, and it left her restless.

Finally she decided to leave her room, and went down to the Jungle pools, hoping to relax in the water.  
Haruhi sat on the pool edge in her sky blue bathing suit. The only light coming from the pools and the caves. She watched the green reflection dance on the ceiling and thought about how strange it was that 2 years ago, she never would have imagined being in such a lavish resort.

Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from the cave opposite her. She froze, and looked over. That's when she saw a very naked host walking out from the rocks. He was facing away from her, but the fiery red mess of hair and the way he moved immediately revealed him to be Kaoru. He was placing his towel on a rock when the girl coughed to alert him of her presence. He slowly turned his head.

"JESUS! My god Haruhi, what are you doing here?" he quickly wrapped the towel around his waist.  
"Sorry!" she cringed "I didn't see anything, don't worry!"  
The boy sighed and put his face in his hands.  
"No, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should really keep my clothes on when we have company" he laughed.  
"No Hikaru?" she observed.  
"Nope, he's fast asleep. But it's nice to take a dip here alone now and again." he smiled.  
"Mmhmm" she agreed, it was such a lovely room.

Kaoru put on some trunks and sat down beside the Haruhi.  
"So are you enjoying it so far?" he asked  
"Very much so. It was kind of you and your brother to invite us all here"  
"Yeah. Shame Mori couldn't come…" it was obvious the boy was trying to get information out of her.  
"Kaoru, I'm not an idiot. I know when you're prying"  
"Sorry. But can you blame me? Hikaru's going crazy. He thinks you guys are dating."  
she stayed silent.  
"You're not though, right?" pause "Right, Haruhi?"  
"Um"  
"You are." He answered his own question.  
"Well. Kinda, I guess. He asked me on Saturday. I didn't see why I shouldn't."  
_This is ridiculous _Kaoru thought _with that logic, she could be dating any one of us by now.  
_"And you didn't consider the rest of us?" his tone was serious, but not angry.  
"The rest of you? Oh! Don't worry, I'll make sure this doesn't affect my secret." She smiled.  
"You don't get it do you?" he sighed.  
"Get what?"  
"You don't think the rest of us would like to date you too?"  
"Huh?" struck by that same confused look.  
"So, so clueless." He sighed, if he was going to get a chance at all, this would probably be it.  
Kaoru turned to the girl, tipped her chin upward and slowly his soft lips met hers. The kiss was slow and passionate. Kaoru was not in any rush, he rested his free hand on her waist, and brought her in closer. Finally, he had to stop for air. Pulling away, he caught his breath and then turned and grinned at Haruhi. Who merely looked puzzled.  
"Haruhi. Every one of us has fallen for you. I'm not saying you have to choose… yet. But I am saying that you should be more mindful about the feelings of others."  
"But, I like all of you guys. You're my friends."  
"Maybe this time with Mori will help to awaken any deeper feelings you possess. I don't believe you have made your choice yet. But just for the record, I hope it's me." He winked at the girl and then stood up.  
"I'm gonna head to the Jacuzzi room. I'll see you later!" Kaoru smiled and exited through the cave he'd just came from.

Haruhi got up and stood under the waterfall. She wondered how she had gotten herself into such a conundrum, as the warm, therapeutic water cascaded down her back.

* * *

**So yeah, coming close to a conclusion. I might have some fun at this resort first though ehehehehe :3  
What do you guys think?  
You, yes you. The one reading. Review please! :D xx  
**


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